Interview with Scott Schandler(LEFT) ( Master of Fine Arts Student at Concordia University in Montréal about his photo project in Fordlandia and Belterra)
Gil Serique: Where were you born and raised?
SC: I grew up just north of Toronto in a town called Aurora. I lived with my parents until I was 18 years old and moved to Toronto. I lived in the China town neighborhood until I was 24 and then moved to Montreal where I live now. I have been there for two years.
GS: How did you get into photography?
SC: I was always interested in art and did a lot of painting in high school. When my grand-father died I inherited his 35mm SLR camera found I was better able to make the images I envisioned with photography than with painting.
GS: What was your most recent project?
SC: My most recent project was photographing interior of strip clubs in Montreal. Montreal is known for its strip clubs but the city is very discouraging of them and trying to shut them down. The photos are of empty strip clubs with no people and all the lights turned on.
GS: How did you find out about Fordlandia?
SC: I came across it on Wikipedia and I was surprised no one had done a project on it yet. I felt very drawn to this town and I knew I had to come here to photograph it. I also noticed some similarities to past projects I had done. I did a project about hotel lobbies in Toronto that was one place simulating another and a project on my neighborhood of Griffin town in Montreal which was one vibrant but has now fallen apart and become forgotten.
GS: What equipment did you bring?
SC: I brought two cameras, one a small digital camera to test out images and for snap shots, and my main camera is a 4x5 Toyo field Camera, It uses single shit colour 4x5 inch film, of which I brought 400 shits. It is very good for making very large detailed prints. I will develop it in Toronto and print it in Montreal.
GS: How long will you be in Fordland for?]
SC: I will be here for two months. I arrived in Santarem last week, visited Belterra for one day and spent several days in Santarem. I arrived in Fordlandia yesterday via boat. I spent the day shown around and introduced to everyone.
GS: What were you expectations and how do you feel so far?
SC: I expected to be more isolated and less populated. There is a great community here with more modern amenities than I thought. I am very impressed with what I saw see so far and I am even more excited than before. The weather is about what I expected.
GS: What do you plan on doing with the images?
SC: I will be using them for my Master’s thesis exhibition and then plan on sending the exhibition to different cities around the world. I would also like to send prints to Santarem, Fordlandia and Belterra to be displayed. And hopefully, I can publish them on a book.
I am very grateful for you Gil, for all your assistance and accommodations, for introducing me to your friends and letting me to stay with them and for helping to make my project possible.
GS: Our pleasure and honour mate. Go for it!!! I wish you the best mind light.
cheers
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